Sharp or flat, in regard to tuning, has no relation to the first poster's answer about half-steps.First, sharp means the frequency you are playing is higher than the accepted frequency of what you should be playing. If you want to play A as 440 Hz but you play 441 Hz, you are sharp. If you play A as 439 Hz you are flat.Since pitch is all relative, so is being sharp or flat. Some groups tune to different pitch standards. This is why you can calibrate a tuner to various pitches of A. Some groups tune to A=438 Hz and some tune to A=442 Hz. Most tune to A=440 Hz. Very few use old tuning styles in which case A is much lower.The longer you play your instrument with the same pitch center, the more you will get used to playing in that tuning. You will start to feel whether something is out of tune or not. You may wish to pick up a Tuning CD to practice with.When tuning with another player, at least one of you should tune with a tuner first. This way you are always practicing in the same tuning and not screwing with your ear. The phrase "When in doubt, pull out" refers mainly to wind instruments (trumpet players use it the most). What it means is that you can pull your slide out until you know you are definitely out of tune and then slowly adjust back in until the "bumps" are virtually gone.What are these "bumps" I speak of? If you play two instruments in close relative pitch you should actually hear something like bumps in the sound. If one person is playing 440 Hz and the other 443 Hz, you will hear 3 bumps per second. So if you are both playing in tune, the difference will be zero=no bumps.Tuning two instruments with different timbres (tone quality) it can become tougher. You still tune the same way. Think of how an orchestra tunes to an oboe and a wind band to a clarinet or oboe. It just takes practice.Eventually, if you work at it and strive for it, it will all become second nature.
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